Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-17
GOTHAM GOSSIP.
STORY OF A DIAMOND RING AND A
BOUQUET.
4 Mad Actress-A Kew Play--Hewtcn and
George-Personal Gossip
Speeulations.


speeuiations.
tCoucspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch
New YORK, July l6, 1887.
A few nights ago an ambitious and
clever woman, who had just made her
New York appearance upon the stage,
was observed to stare up the aisle with
more OF less anxiety as the curtain de-
scended on the second act. The APP
Irebension was noticed by the people
on the stage. After the curtain had
fallen she peeped through and wrung
her hands a moment before going to
her dressing-room. Then she hurried
away. A moment later placid usher
wandered down the aisle with large
bouquet to which was attached small
parcel He handed il to the musical
conductor, and that gentleman being
in somewhat somnolent condition,
read the name Of the actress for whom
il was designed and placed it between
his feet with the idea of tossing it to
her during the following act Later
he accidentally kicked the bouquet out
Of sight under his desk and forgot all
about il.
The perturbation and tension OF the
actress in the last act excited unusual
attention. The curtain fell, the audi
ence dispersed. and then the actress
rushed 10 the orchestra leader, assem-
bled the ushers and cried frantically:
"Where is my bouquet"
81 sent il down the aisle" said the
usher contritely, "and you must NV
got it,"
"well, l didn't get it" said the ac-
tress tearfully, "and there was a dia-
mond ring in il too. Whom did you
give it too?"
1.-The leader"
They turned excitedly to the knight
OF the baton, and he rubbed his head
earnestly and tried to recollect what he
had done with it. He failed. Then
they began search Of the house and
stage. 1t was an awful position. Para
graphs have been sent down town to
the newspaper offices to the effect that
millionaire admirer had sent Miss
What I'd ye call-her a bouquet, and that
nesting among the roses she found a
$1,000 diamond, &C., &c. Meanwhile
the only diamond that the lady pos
sessed was missing from her finger,
and a suspicion of the real condition of
affairs GOT abroad. am afraid there
were jibes and jeers, and ] know there
was an immense amount OF excite
ment: but it ended well, for at 2
O'Clock in the morning the lady found
her bouquet and her diamond, and,
being of an amiable disposition. she
took the ushcrs and the contrite leader
of the orchestra with her to a Bohe-
milan supper around the corner. They
were all pledged to inviolate secrecy
and the following day everybody in
town knew about it. got it from the
best source in the world, for the actress
told me about it herself.
sTAGNATION.
The stagnation of the summer season
was broken on Monday by the produc-
ton of new play by Richard Mans
field. who is rs clever and ingenlus as
any Of the younger men of the stage.
He calls the play Monsieur, though
why on earth a man should give
a play a name which everybody is afraid
to pronounce by daylight is not clear.
There is probably not word in the
French language that is so difficult TO
master as this, but it advertises Mr..
Mansfield. because everybody speaks
of it as Mansfield's play, and not by
It's proper title. Monsieur" 1t is ex
actly what had been looked fora
light and ingenious skit, without any
notable dramatic power and with very
little pronounced originality. Mans
field was the play. He was as inge-
Nous, accomplished, and versatile as
ever, and his little tricks and notable
bits of by-play told at every turn of
the piece. Without him it would be
nothing. With him it is entertaining
and palatable.
Mansfield is man of natural polish.
believe he is often referred to as a cad
and snob by actors, but Unjust say, as
far as my observation has gone, he has
invariably carried himself with modesty
and good taste. / do not know him
personally, but ever since he has come
to New York he has swung in with a
good set of people, dimes i'll the right
places with men and women of good
social station, drives his own horse to
thorOughly-c cart, and behaves
throughout as any other well-educated
and genial man would who had dis
like for the notoriety of the stage and
preferred to mix with people OF posi-
ton. They are telling a story now about
very eccentric old man and his wife
in the Victoria Hotel, who are exceed
ingly rich ana monstrously cranky, and
who have taken the most extraordinary
liking to the young actor. Heis atten-
tive to them, and they visit his theatre
constantly. A warm friendship has
sprung up in the oddly-assorted little
trio.
PERSONAL GOSSIP.
Refund and burly Tom Corrigan, of
Kansas CITY, who surprises all by the
softness OF his voice, which, like the
late John Monissey, he seldom exerts
above whisper, looks admiringly on
Jake Sharp's canary-cars on Broadway
from the portals of the st. James
Hotel. Before Sharp's legal misfor-
tunes Tom used to be styled the Jake
Sharp Of Kansas City" because before
he sold out to the Boston syndicate he
uStu 10 CCutlOi tus CltN iahicat IL
terests in Kansas City. 1t is to be said
for Corrigan that lie obtained his con-
cessions and franchises by dint of hard
work, and in this respect he is entirely
unlike Sharp, as he used to personally
work in the street in building anu
running his roads, while that gentleman
never performed any duty that he could
deputize. Corrigan evidently does not
feel at ease in the big city of New York,
and is not inclined to talk to any but
his intimates nor is he disposed to
discuss any subject with which he is
not entirely familiar. New York is
great city," he says rehectively. Its
street-car system is no greater than
mine used TO he considerin' the SER
vice, but it's great city of magnificent
houses and elegant streets. And what
place Coney Island is What big
thing the ocean is Beats all the
prsiries ever see for extent of
view" Toms safely invested cap
ital received from the Boston syn
dictate inclines him to be conservative
in his views in regard to the big real